Alastor's Old Acquaintance

Ch 9 An Awkward Meal

In a little over thirty minutes, Hearth had practically made an all you could way buffet, and politely asked everyone to come in to eat.

Jack awkwardly took a small loaf of bread and a piece of cheese before chuckling slightly. "Hey, Hearth, you're not still mad about the mention of your, you know..."

Hearth laughed. "Of course not Jack, unless I'm just pulling you into a false sense of security, before, in a few months time, making you regret having the ability to speak, but I wouldn't do that, would I?"

Jack gulped, before swallowing the bread and cheese.

Alastor picked up a plate of venison and a cup of coffee.

Charlie and Vaggie shared a few slices of chocolate cake.

Palomino took a large mug of coffee and eggs.

Angel grabbed the most food he could and shoved it all on a plate.

Pike made two bacon sandwiches and gave one to Dedmin.

Maddie took a chocolate cupcake and a fruit smoothie.

The Ripper Girls didn't take anything.

And Kate took a plate of eggs, bacon, sausages, tomatoes and a glass of orange juice. "So Allison, what have you been up to in Hell?"

Allison giggled. "You really think you have the right to ask that question?"

Kate shrugged. "Don't see why not."

Allison hissed in response. "Kate, for the love of someone, roll up your sleeves!" Hearth groaned, eating... A full turkey.

Kate, quite angrily, rolled up her sleeves, revealing her hands.

Her palms were made of dark oak, while her fingers looked and acted like six-inch knives, made of a metal no one could recognise.

She carefully picked up a knife and fork and began eating calmly.

Hearth nodded in approval, continuing to consume the turkey.

Pike coughed. "So, you all have numbers where your fatal wounds were?"

"Yes, as luck would have it." Chimed a woman, entering the dining hall.

She had smooth light blue hair, hazel eyes, a completely smooth face, as she had no nose, and seemed to be made from patchwork, with her arms sewed onto the shoulders, and a long imprint down her dress, that was poorly sown up.

When Kate stared at the girl, a stitch illuminated down the middle of her body, right through the ribs, then a number 13 glowed.

The woman stood still, her breathing going shallow before she coughed. "Please allow me to introduce myself. Kelly Mitre."

Charlie smiled. "Charlie. Please allow us to properly welcome you to the hotel!"

Alastor grinned. "I'm sure we all look forward to seeing everyone fail."

Kelly's smile wavered, but she ignored Alastor. "Is, everyone, here for redemption?"

Charlie shook her head. "Jack, the Jester, is advertising, Maddie, the hatter, just dropped a dress off for Angel and decided to stay for a bit, Alastor is my business partner, Vaggie is my girlfriend, Niffty, the cyclops, is the maid, Hearth, the skeleton, is Jack's boss, Husk, the cat, is a greeter and bartender, Pike, the skeleton mask, and Dedmin, the melting soldier, also work for Hearth. I assume Kate works for you too?"

Kate nodded. "Yes and-"

"Stop talking." Kelly interrupted.

Kate grinned. "Why would I do that, exactly?"

"Because anything you say is either a lie, a threat, pure evil, drunken madness, or a mix of all of them." Kelly barked back, crossing her arms.

"And you'll probably kill us all anyway, so what's the point?" Alison added.

Kate blinked, looking confused. "Why would I kill you? I mean, sure, I may threaten the other Ripped Girls, but In hardly going to do anything to you!"

Alison rolled her eyes. "And what makes me any different?"

Kate looked down at her plate. "I'm sure you know why..."

While the Ripper Girls, and everyone else for that matter, were tongue-tied, someone knocked.

Another woman, wearing a white square mask with a small smile and empty black eyes on it, walked in.

They had blood red hair, a dark purple cloak, no skin or muscle on their neck, and walked with a slight limp on their right leg.

Kelly blinked. "Are you OK sweetie? You don't need to come down already, I'm sure..."

The woman nodded, before sitting down, and seemed to cast a confused look at Kate, though no one could be sure.

Liz coughed. "Please allow me to introduce Dark Mary Dorset. Dark is what they prefer."

Alastor blinked. "I don't wish to be rude my dear, but why in Hell are you wearing a mask?"

Dark glanced in his direction, the fake black eyes seeming to stare into his soul, before looking down onto the table.

Kate smiled slightly. "Hi, Kate Chripper, I'm sure Alison has said wonderful things about me."

"Yes Katherine, I explained you were your best self when death was dragging you down here through fields of cacti." Alison heckled.

Alastor blinked. "I have a tendency to miss a few social cues on purpose, but I'm sensing some tension."

Palomino nodded, swallowing the last of his egg. "Yup, I'm not even sure if I should be hungry, horny, or frightful for my life."

Kate grimaced. "Charming Palomino, really, charming."

"Soo, what should we talk about?" Dedmin asked the room, in an attempt to shift the conversation.

Kate shrugged. "Who made the worst life decisions?"

While the conversation was about to continue, Alison threw a knife right behind Kate's head, almost touching their hair.

Kate blinked. "Huh, that's certainly interesting..." She said, grabbing the knife from the wall.

The examined it for a moment, before putting it back on the table. "Great threat, but the hotel is a neutral zone, no fights inside."

"Drop dead, Katherine." Alison hissed.

"If you can land a hit, Alley." Kate mocked.

Pike sighed. "I don't want to be a downer, but what time is it?"

"Four fifteen, Pike." Hearth answered, consuming a full turkey.

Charlie choked on her chocolate cake. "I'm so sorry, I don't think I have any more food."

Kate shrugged. "I can go pick some up."

Charlie beamed. "You mean it?"

Kate nodded. "I doubt most of the people in the hotel want me here, so I may as well get food, I'll even cook it."

"No one trusts your cooking skills, Katherine." Alison muttered.

Kate looked unimpressed but left the room, then everyone heard the hotel's front door open, then carefully close.

Alastor shrugged, continuing to eat his venison. "Well, the hotel already has some drama, doesn't it!"

Suddenly, everyone heard noises, all in a seemingly frantic pace, before a panting woman, a grey snake demon, with a dark blue bob cut of all things, with what seemed to be fish fins near the bottom of her tail, slammed the doors open.

"Turn on 666 News!" She exclaimed, her London accent flooding the hotel.

Vaggie was already standing. "What's going on?"

The snake demon continued to pant frantically. "It's Leather Apron, they announced they're back on ripping."

A deadly silence followed, only to be interrupted by Angel. "Who?"